January Brew-Fer Two-Fer!

Each month, two guys from Burd’s, Paul and Jacob, grab a couple of beers at two other local breweries to celebrate the great brewing of the Central PA region.

Having survived the Holidays and enduring some Arctic temps, we decided to say “forget dry January”  and crossed the river to the East Shore to visit Newfangled Brew Works and Boneshire Beer Works. 

We rolled up to Newfangled with ease, parking wasn’t a problem on a Saturday afternoon.  As we walked into the brewery, we were impressed with the size of the space. It dwarfs a small airplane hangar.  No wonder the brewery advertises the space for large events.  But because it was just the two of us, we took a couple of seats at the end of the long bar.  After placing our order, Adam Cole, Newfangled’s brewer came over and spent some time talking with us.  Beyond getting to know more about the brewery and the beers, we learned that before he was a brewer, he was once an explosive ordnance disposal technician in the U.S. Air Force!  Here’s what else we thought was “the bomb” at New Fangled:
 
Atmosphere & Space
Although the space is big, it’s not cavernous.  We felt comfortable and we were able to have a conversation without having to shout over a din of others to hear ourselves talk.  There were some fun touches scattered throughout taproom, like the retro style BEER sign behind the bar.
 
Service & Hospitality 
Our beertender encouraged us to take our time with ordering our flights of beer.  He was really good at knowing when we were ready.  Some servers disappear when a customer isn’t ready to order, but our beertender had perfect timing.  Plus, we had a bonus visit by the brewer who talked to us about each beer we were enjoying.      
 
Food
Newfangled menu offers a lot of fun to the discerning diner. A great bevvy of BBQ’d delights like the pulled pork on brioche or tacos, all with a fun, vintage Americana flair.

Best Beers!
Paul’s favorite was the Deflecto Red Ale.  He really liked the maltiness and the toffee finish.  But, at 8% ABV, it’s not a play toy. As a big fan of the Belgian beers, Jacob loved the Grape Oompa Loompa Tripel! The white wine qualities came across the palate for something rather special. The insight offered by Adam into his brewing process for each was also a treat.

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We said our goodbyes to Adam and hit the road to Boneshire Beer Works on Derry Street. After a quick 10 minute drive, we parked in a spot very close to the entrance.  Located in a strip mall, the brewery still has the feel of a local watering hole.  We noticed that almost every customer that afternoon was drinking from a handcrafted mug club member’s mug.  There was even a mug club member who preferred to drink his beer outside at one of the picnic tables on the patio…in 28 degree weather.  “Yeah, he’s hard core,” the beertender explained.  Umm…well, here’s what we liked inside the brewery.
 
Atmosphere & Space
Definitely a loyal customer base— a lot of fun.  If you sit facing the windows (or outside on a WARM day), you can see the trains roll by across the way.  It would actually make a fun drinking game.
 
Service & Hospitality
Our beertender at Boneshire was fast and efficient with our flights. But it all really came together when our food order arrived at our table, quickly to boot! 

Food
What a pleasant surprise this was! Despite already having our fill of beer & BBQ at the first stop, the pizza at Boneshire hit the spot with our flights. The Hot Heat pie had a light, crisp crust and the jalapeno & honey combo had us going back to the well for more.

Best Beers!
We both liked the Mexican LazarUS Stout with its bold hit of Mexican chocolate. Not for the faint of heart for sure! The cinnamon hits hard in this one, and the heat from the habaneros lingers for a long finish.
 
Whether you were part of dry January or not, February would be a great month to visit two great breweries on the East Shore!